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Implementing 988 for Mental Health Emergencies & NG911 Training Tips for Ops and IT Staff

Published Sep 14, 2021

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 Q&A

Transcript

View this webinar for an update on the status of 988, the nation’s three-digit number for mental health emergencies, and the Washington, DC, Office of Unified Communications’ (DC-OUC) approach to NG911 training for their operational and IT staff.

Implementation of 988

In 2019, the FCC staff – in consultation with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Department of Veteran Affairs, and the North American Numbering Council – released a report recommending the use of 988 as the three-digit code for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Dr. John Draper and Dr. Richard McKeon share information on the implementation of 988 as the uniform number for mental health emergencies, provide an update on its status for meeting the July 16, 2022, timeline, and what 911 needs to know to prepare.

NG911 Training

Like many public safety entities today, the DC-OUC is planning for a full transition to NG911. As part of this preparation, the Office recognized the need to train not only operational staff on NG911, but their information technology staff, as well. This session provides an overview of the comprehensive training that has been developed to meet these needs.

Speakers Include:

  • John Draper, Ph.D., Executive Director, National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and Executive Vice President of National Networks, Vibrant Emotional Health

  • Selena MacArthur, CAD/Telephony Program Manager, DC-OUC

  • Heather McGaffin, Director of Emergency Operations, DC-OUC

  • Richard McKeon, Ph.D., Chief, Suicide Prevention Branch, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), US Department of Health and Human Services